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The Ultimate Bath Bomb Guide

Over the recent years, bath bombs have really blown up (pun intended) across Twitter and Instagram, not to mention every beauty site or blog you stumble upon. This guide is going to let you know everything you need to know about them, from what they are to how to make them at home!

What is a bath bomb?

Bath bombs are, at their most basic, just little balls of ingredients that dissolve in water. The two big ingredients in them are baking soda and citric acid; which sounds kinda scary. Don’t worry though, citric acid is extremely mild. In fact, it occurs naturally in fruit. Other than that, they are are usually chock full of essential oils, lotions, and things like shea or coco butter. Some even have dyes or even luster to make them a truly surreal experience.

How do they work?

The citric acid and baking soda a neutral when they’re dry. When exposed to liquid (a warm bath) the react with each other, causing them to fizz and bubble in a way that mixes everything in the water to make sure everything is dissolved and diluted.

What are the benefits of bath bombs?The nature of the ingredients are practically a guarantee that your skin will be a lot smoother and softer when you get out. The essential oils will soothe and repair dry skin, while the coco butter in others will leave it healthy and glowing.

The essential oils don’t just help your skin, they help your mind too. Bath bombs have their own special brand of aromatherapy. The lavender or rose is sure to help you unwind and relax after a hard day, and the citrus or peppermint will give you an extra pep in your step after a quick soak!

That, combined with the swirling colors and warm water, makes a luxuriously relaxing experience that makes you feel like a whole new person when you get out.

How much do they cost?

You can get bath bombs almost anywhere these days. They tend to be cheaper at department stores, some of them on the shelf being as cheap as 1 dollar! Those are usually very basic, bare bones bath bombs.

For the ones of higher quality, they’re usually 5 bucks at the cheapest. These are the ones you can find in beauty shops and online sites. These are the ones that really give you the bang for your buck!

But, if you want to have great bath bombs for a low price, you can always just make them yourself!

How do you use them?

First, you need to choose the right bath bomb for you! Like I said before, picking something with a gentle, relaxing scent is ideal for when you’ve had a rough day at work and want to relax. Something more sharp, like citrus and peppermint, will help clear your mind in the morning and get a jump on the day ahead of you.

Then you can prep it! for most of them, this just means unwrapping them, but there are some that have can have flower petals in them. If you want to make sure they don’t stick to your tub or shower curtain, you’re going to want to wrap it in a cloth.

Next, go ahead and drop the bath bomb in the tub! If you’re looking to stretch your money, you can even just use half of one. Make sure to wait until it’s completely done bubbling before getting in. This makes sure that it’s all evenly mixed with the water.

My favorite step of all: Relax! Give yourself a good soak and do some deep breathing and let everything just fall away for a while. You’ll feel much better after.

When you’re done, just get out and dry off! If you’re using one with heavier oils, dye, or luster, you may want to rinse off first. There shouldn’t be too much of a mess, and if there is, a quick rinse of your tub should do the trick to get it nice and clean!

Despite their name, you don’t always have to use bath bombs in the bath! They’re really useful for foot soaks, shower scrubs, or even just air fresheners!

Common Misconceptions.

Much like anything that gets a lot of hype, there are quite a few myths and misconceptions around bath bombs.

“Bath bombs don’t have an expiration date.”They actually do! Most of them last about 6 months after being made. It’s a slow process, but they will eventually just stop reacting to water. It’s safe to say that the more recently they’ve been made, the faster they’re going to bubble!

“Bath bombs are bad for the environment.”This one is false too! For the more sparkly ones, they use something called luster. Luster is an organic compound that gives you the sparkle you want, without the plastic that’s in glitter.

“Bath bombs are bad for your hair.” If anything, it’s actually good for it. The essential oils and citric acid are more likely to make your hair softer and shinier.

“You can’t use bath bombs if you have sensitive skin.” Now this one actually has a bit of truth in it. For most people with sensitive skin, they’re completely fine since they’re made of very mild ingredients. But for people with allergies to the ingredients, or people who are sensitive to limonene, linalool, or sulfates, it’s better if you take a pass on these.

Conclusion

Bath bombs are the pinnacle of beauty routines. They’re right up there with mud soaks and pedicures, but with only a fraction of the price. The accessibility is one of the reasons it got so big in the first place. Hopefully, this in depth guide has given you a better understanding bath bombs and how they’re used. The next time you need to take some time to relax, give it a try! It’s definitely worth it